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Wednesday, October 1, 2025

01Oct

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord. Psalm 146 (NIV)

I have a sign by my front door that says "believe". I hope that all who come and go from our home think about what they believe or have their beliefs refocused when they see it. We speak our beliefs through the Apostle's Creed. I think about those beliefs when I say them. This psalm helps me to refocus my beliefs. I believe that our hope is in the Lord and that no matter how we are influenced in our world, our greatest influencer is Jesus Christ. No matter how awful some of the decisions we make in our lives, God gives us grace and forgiveness. I believe that the Lord cares for the needy, shelters the lost children and oppressed and welcomes and sustains the powerless. When I become truly afraid of all the hurt that our world creates, I pray that His love will save us from our weaknesses and mistakes. I believe. Praise the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

Questions for Reflection:

  • Remembering that I once heard that when we take a shower, we should remember our baptism, I wonder what would help us to refocus on what we believe?
  • What is your favorite way to praise the Lord? Is it through song, works or prayer?

Prayer:

Dearest Lord, maker of all; ruler of all; Savior of all, be with us in our daily struggles. Help us to believe in your power. Thank you for all you do for those who are hurting, lonely, hungry, in prison, homeless, blind or sick. Your awesomeness saves us from despair. Blessed be your name! Amen

PraisePrayer

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Posted by Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton has been a member of Southwood Lutheran Church since 2003, transferring membership from Our Savior's Lutheran. She has been married to Jay Hamilton for almost 44 years and is the mother of four and grandmother of 7 children. She is a retired Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner. She's an old farm girl, having been raised on a family farm in southwestern Minnesota. She lives by faith and walks with God as much as possible.

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